Monday, March 2, 2009

BANG ZOOM! ENTERTAINMENT CREATES FRESH ENGLISH DUB FOR SPECIAL WEB PRESENTATION OF ACCLAIMED ANIME FILM 5 CENTIMETERS PER SECOND ON CRUNCHYROLL

Film Is One Of Three By Renowned Anime Auteur Makoto Shinkai To Be Streamed This Weekend On Leading Video Distribution Website

Burbank, CA, February 26, 2009 – Bang Zoom! Entertainment, a leading full-service audio post production company and producer of original entertainment content, has announced a new English dub it completed for Makoto Shinkai’s critically acclaimed animated film, 5 Centimeters Per Second, which debuts this coming Saturday, February 28th on the Crunchyroll video distribution website. The film will stream for 24 hours to commemorate Global Shinkai Day, which celebrates the work of this innovative anime auteur.

Crunchyroll arranged this special presentation with CoMix Wave Films, the producers of Shinkai's works in Japan, and will offer a trio of Shinkai’s films this weekend including Voices of a Distant Star and The Place Promised in Our Early Days, in addition to 5 Centimeters Per Second. Visit www.crunchyroll.com for more details.

Set in Japan beginning in 1990s and ending in the present day, 5 Centimeters Per Second is a collection of romantically tinged short stories centering on a boy named Takaki Tono. The film depicts the impacts of time and distance on Takaki and his relationship with a childhood friend named Akari Shinohara for whom he has feelings. After their families move away from each other the pair tries to remain in contact – during a time before cell phones and email. But as the years pass it becomes harder to stay connected and a rift between Takaki and Akari begins to grow. As he reflects on the experiences he once shared with his friend, Takaki wonders if he will ever get the chance to meet Akari again.

For the new dub, Bang Zoom! assembled a cast of talented, veteran anime voice actors that included Johnny Yong Bosch (Bleach, Lucky Star, Gurren Lagann) as Takaki, Erika Weinstein (Ergo Proxy, Rozen Maiden) as Akari, and Kira Buckland (AIKa R-16, Xombie) as Kanae, another girl in Takaki’s class that has a crush on him but is afraid to confess her feelings.

Bang Zoom! was tapped by CoMix Wave Films to develop a fresh English dub after it heard of the company’s vast experience with anime, having dubbed thousands of episodes. “We paid special attention to Makoto Shinkai’s original artistic vision for this film and the way the characters were portrayed,” says Eric P. Sherman, President of Bang Zoom! Entertainment. “We stuck to the translated script religiously and agonized over every subtle nuance in the actors’ performances to make sure they sounded as compelling as possible. Casting Director Kaeko Sakamoto had extremely high standards for this production and everyone worked very hard to remain true to the original artistic vision of this poignant film. We invite fans to check out Crunchyroll this Saturday for this very special presentation!”

About Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Inc.

Headquartered in Burbank, California, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Inc. is a leading and award winning full service audio post production studio working in the fields of feature films, television, electronic entertainment, anime and direct to home entertainment projects. Founded in 1993, Bang Zoom! Entertainment maintains operations in the U.S. with three buildings, six recording/mixing stages and a staff of just under 200 actors, writers, directors and technicians. Bang Zoom! Entertainment is committed to carrying out innovative projects that contribute to the promotion of global cultural awareness. More information about Bang Zoom! Entertainment and its products can be found on the company’s web site, which is located at www.bangzoomentertainment.com.